| Title: | Thomas Potts, Belfast to William Lemon, Salem, USA |
|---|---|
| ID | 2173 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Potts, Thomas/52 |
| Year | 1795 |
| Sender | Potts, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | politician? |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Salem, Mass., USA |
| Recipient | Lennon, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | T 1012/1: Obtained from Mr. Robert W. Hill, Keeper of MSS, New York Public Library, U.S.A. #TYPE LET Thomas Potts, Belfast to William Lemon, Salem, U.S.A. 17 November 1795. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 8905171 |
| Date | 17/11/1795 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | 28:06:1989 LT created 07:11:1990 CD input 07:11:19 |
| Word Count | 1381 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 1795 Mr William Lennon Salem Care of Mr James Dunlop America Captn [Captain?] Fairfield Belfast 17th Nov [November?] 1795 My Dear Simon, I only received your letter two days ago, occasioned by my being in Dublin for some days. It indeed gives Me very singular satisfaction to find that you have commenced business, on your account, and more so, a[s?] you have met with great encouragement & by what captn [Captain?] Fairfield tells me, its highly gratifying to think that in a few years with care that a very large fortune may be made in your business, which I hope can & will be the chief study of yours. The Guinea and half mentioned in your letter the Captn [Captain?] paid it to Rowley Osborne by the desire of Mr Dunlop as, appeared by his list of Memorandums; however I have called with Rowley and read him your letter, which has convinced him from your not being any thing in his debt, that the money was intended for me, and of course he gives it to me on giving my receipt and the very first opportunity shall take care to have it paid agreeable to your wishes. On reading your letter to your friends, Cuthbert Orr, O'Dawson, it afforded them singular pleasure, to hear of your being in the fair road to prosperity, they are going on with their Occupations as formerly. Dawson desires me to tell you that he is no lower by your transfers, and he wishes you health and prosperity. Your ships company must have been greatly overjoyed at the fortunate Escape they had from the unmerciful paws of the abandond [abandoned?] cruel & ferocious English savages, you must have heard long o'er this the savage treatment that the passengers and crew of the ship [Cincinnatus?] met with. Here, it has filled the Heart of every liberal man with greatest indignation, to hear of their honest countrymen and the inhabitants of your country, thus to be dragged & chained by ruffians to make this the forced instruments of enslaving & trampling on their fellow-man who dared to say they will be free. It too & when on the verge of landing on what we, were used to stile [style?] the land of [F?]reedom but from recent occurrences I am of opinion that it no longer deserves the fair name, and that it is not the free country we take it for. Pray my friend will you along with the opinion of your new friends, tell me, if America will tamely submit to Washingtons late scandalous conduct in ratifying the late Treaty of Amitty [Amity?] & Commence with the government of Pits [Pitt's?] Here, it has rendered him so odious, by striking such deep blows against the sacred rights of man, that his name can't be borne with in private, or public Company, this you know to be far different to former times, when no toast was looked on to be equal to his name - what a pity it is, that now when on the eve of leaving this earthly stage, that he should by one act, blast all his former hard earn'd [earned?] fame. Indeed this as well as many other lessons of the kind shows on minute observations the truth of not looking up to Man, in a public capacity such as his but Alone to their measures, as by measures alone; we are able to judge of the good or evil. the executive power intends, the free representation of a people as to our business of O-r-n--n [Orangemen?] in this place it is going on in a progress[ive?] state and from some late occurrences that has happened, which I cant at present mention, will lend very much to increase its path; our exertions are increasing & if some unforeseen matter does not prevent us, the time you allude I think it won't be so very far distant as you would imagine. To give you some further proofs of the vile Miscreants our Magistrates and Leg-rs [Legislators?] There has lately at their instigation which is a well ascertain'd [ascertained?] fact: - A very disagreeable affray between the protestant party stileing [styling?] themselves Orange boys - and the Roman Catholics, otherwise defenders, took place some little time back in the Neighbourhood of Armagh. Each party took their ground, encamped, and had several severe skirmishes, wherein many lives were lost on both sides, but most of the Defenders, the success of the other party was owing to their being aided & [headed?] by three or four Magistrates who went so far as to give them Warrants for assembling to leave not a single Catholic [alive?] if possible - grieving at their not fully accomplishing the destruction of such a number of the human race as [were?] assembled by those misguided poor silly men, they sent for a part of the Militia quartered in a neighbouring town, to put their vile & horrid practices into execution but to their horror, not a single shot would they fire without full liberty to disperse both parties, this of consequence led them to suspect that, if that liberty was given them, that they would join the Defender body, as a number of them are with reason I believe suspected to be of the same Class. they were immediately replaced by a part of the 8th & 9th dragoons who in every sense of the word answered their diabolical purposes, of cutting, & slashing a number of the O-party, being they only set on the scene of action - the others having got a Watch word I withdrew leaving them to satisfy their ferocity on those whom it was it is well Known they were to pr[otect?] - shocking indeed to relate this did not stop there - The country around was ransacked by those [bood?] blood suckers with the magistrates, & whoever professed the catholic religion was unmercifully dragged, & chained together like hounds - and sent to gaol from thence to Dublin, and away then on board a prison ship, to man the fleet; this cruelty was done all on a pretence of Defenderism, and without any trial, whatever & to recruit some of their new raising corps, they [the?] G--t [Government?] have lately taken the same mode as that of the Navy, on the 3rd Ins. [Instant?] early in the Morning about 26 of those unhappy men were brought into Dundalk as I travelled through it guarded by a strong Military escort - whence they were to be sent to Dublin this they soon [altered?] by a discovery of their intentions to engage some active Counsellors to plead their case [?] horrid depravity to relate they immediately got a Vagabond to swear, although he never saw their faces, before, that they were all deserters from a corps that is raising in that neighbourhood intended for the West Indies. Such practices may do for a time, but in the end it will bring about what the G--ts [Government's?] intentions are to destroy that is a perfect Union of Irishmen, dont you think such measures will forward a Union - As your situation is near the [?]divant Donaldson pray give my best respects to him & tell him that I am happy to hear of his making so comfortable a livelihood - Also that Messrs Russel, McCracken, McComb, Stor[eys?] and a string of &c &c are all well - You can scarcely conceive the gratification I felt at your kindness to write me, and as the ground is broke, if provided it would not be attended with too much trouble for you, it would give me particular satisfaction to hear as frequently from you as opportunities permits - The Captain has for you a few of the Star papers, I recommend to your notice the one of the 16th Ins [instant?] for the perusal of the [seditions?] bill to be introduced into the House of Commons of G [Great?] Britain - and for the perusal & entertainment of your jovial hours you have a song book lately published. Its sung by the Irish [Sans Culottes?] with great [utas?] Believe me citizen that I am with the sincerest wish for your Health Happiness & prosperity to be your much obliged - Thomas Potts R M Cormick is well and in the fair way of making a very rapid fortune. |
